The present invention relates to electrical connectors, and in particular to a means of securing two connectors to opposite sides of a printed circuit board.
Apparatus exists for providing electrical connectors with means for being secured to a printed circuit board. One such apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,907,987 in which a boardlock having barbs is closely received in an aperture in a printed circuit board. The connector includes a dielectric housing having an integral flange having a mounting face, an opposed holding face, and an aperture extending therebetween. A first portion of the boardlock is disposed and secured in the housing aperture. A second portion of the boardlock comprises spring means extending from the first portion to an end beyond the mounting face. The spring means have barb means thereon, positioned along the spring means between the first portion and the end. The barbs extend laterally from the spring means such that when the second portion of the boardlock is received in a boardlock receiving aperture in a printed circuit board, the barb means engage the wall of the boardlock receiving aperture to secure the connector to the printed circuit board.
With the known apparatus, one may mount connectors to opposite sides of a circuit board. However, the boardlocks can not share boardlock receiving apertures. This requires first that the board have one pair of apertures for each connector mounted on either side of the board. In addition, each connector must be offset from all connectors on the opposite side of the board. Connectors of opposite sides of the board being offset results in inefficient space utilization of the board. If connectors can share apertures, they may be mounted directly across the board from each other. This saves surface space on the board not only by freeing space otherwise used by the additional apertures, but also by not having to offset connectors on opposites of the board.